Hydraulic door closer



Aug. 30, 1966 K. P. SOGOIAN 3,26,945

HYDRAULIC DOOR CLOSER Filed June 5, 1964 INVENTOR. q KALOUST P. SOGOIAN "1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,268,945 HYDRAULIC DOOR CLOSER Kaloust P. Sogoian, 23633 Berg Road, Southfield, Mich. Filed June 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,988 2 Claims. (CI. 1652) This invention relates to hydraulic door closers and particularly to door closers for use with light weight doors such as are found around the home and in light commercial installations.

A common problem with hydraulic door closers of the light weight type is there is a tendency for leakage between the piston rod and the casing as the piston rod re ciprocates within the casing.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hydraulic door closer which has novel sealing means between the piston rod and the casing.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a door closer which can be manufactured at low cost.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a hydraulic door closer embodying the invention showing the closer in position on a door jamb.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. '1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of a portion of the hydraulic door closer shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the hydraulic door closer embodying the invention comprises a cylindrical tubular casing 11 which has one end thereof closed by a plug 12 and formed with an integral extension 13 providing a means for pivoting the door closer to a door jamb 14. Extension 13 extends between spaced walls 15 of a bracket 16 that is mounted on the jamb 14. A rivet or pin 17 extends through alined openings in the wall 15 and through an opening in the extension 13 to thereby pivot the casing 11 on the bracket 16 and in turn the jamb 14.

A piston rod 18 extends through the other end of the casing 11 and a seal is provided between the piston rod 18 and the casing 11, as presently described. The end of the rod 18 which is external of the casing 11 is held by a clamp 19 which is pivoted to a bracket 20 fixed on the door 21 at a point spaced from the door hinge 22.

A valve and piston assembly 23 is mounted on the end of the rod 18 within the casing 11. The valve and piston assembly 23 comprises spaced members 24, 25 between which a resilient annular ring 26 is positioned in sealing engagement with the inner surface of the easing 11. Member 24 is provided with a small axial opening 27 and member 25 is provided with a larger axial opening 28. A spring 29 yieldingly urges the piston rod to door closing position such as shown in FIG. 2. When the door is opened by hand, the ring 26 moves to the right offering a free flow of hydraulic liquid within the casing 11 around the periphery of member 24 and through axial opening 28. When the door is released, the spring 29 tends to return the door to closed position but is opposed in this movement by the restricted fiow of hydraulic fluid which is produced by shifting of the ring 26 against the member 24 thereby obstructing flow through the periphery of the member 24 and permitting flow only through restricted opening 27. This produces a gradual controlled closing of the door.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the seal between the piston rod 18 and the casing 11 is formed by a flat resilient washer 30 having an opening 31 centrally thereof through which the rod 18 projects. The size of the opening 31 is substantially smaller than the diameter of the rod 18 so that a central portion 32 of the gasket extends axially in the direction of the valve means 23. The length of the portion 32 axially of the rod 18 is such that when the rod 3,268,945 Patented August 30, 1966 18 is reciprocated the portion 32 remains in position extending toward the valve means 23 regardless of the direction of movement of the piston rod 18 thereby forwarding an eflicient seal between the .piston rod 18 and resilient washer 38.

The diameter of the gasket 30 is such that a peripheral portion 33 thereof extends axially along the inner surface of the casing 11 away from the valve means 23. A flat rigid washer 34 having a central opening 35 slight- 1y larger than the diameter of the rod 18 is provided on the other side of the gasket 30 and has its periphery spaced from the inner surface of the casing 11. An end portion 36 of the casing is turned over thereby compressing the peripheral portion 33 of the resilient gasket 30 against the periphery of the Washer 34 to provide a seal. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a washer 37 is pro vided adjacent the one surface of the resilient washer 30 and has a central portion 38 which is raised to provide clearance for the axially extending portion 32 of the resilient washer 38. Spring 29 provides an axial force surrounding the portion 38 yieldingly holding the gasket 30 in position.

In the manufacture of the hydraulic door closer, the washer 37, resilient washer 30 and washer 34 are assembled on the piston rod after the valve means 23 and spring 29 have been placed on the piston rod with the axial portion 32 of the washer 30 extending toward the valve means 23. The entire assembly is then inserted within the casing 11 so that the peripheral portion 33 of the resilient gasket 30 is forced axially away from the valve means. The washer 34 is then maintained within the casing against the action of the spring 29 while the end 36 of the casing 11 is deformed into position.

At all times, the elastic memory of the gasket forces axial portion 32 against the surface of the piston rod to insure an efficient hydraulic sea-l.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a hydraulic door closer having novel sealing means be tween the piston rod and the casing.

I claim:

1. In a hydraulic door closer, the combination comprising a casing defining a piston chamber,

a piston rod reciprocally mounted in said casing with one end thereof extending within said chamber and the other end thereof extending externally of said casing,

valve means on the end of said piston rod within said chamber adapted to selectively restrict communication between one side of said valve means and the other,

means for sealing around a portion intermediate the ends of said rod comprising a washer of resilient material having an axial opening therein through which said rod projects,

the diameter of said opening being less than the diameter of said rod,

said washer being substantially flat in an untensioned state when removed from the casing,

a first rigid washer engaging a surface of said resilient washer and having a central portion spaced from said resilient washer allowing a central portion of said resilient washer to extend axially along said rod in sealing relation to said rod in the direction of said valve means,

the axially extending portion of said resilient washer being of such thickness and length that flexing of said axially extending portion is prevented during reciprocating movement of said rod in both directions so that said axially extending portion extends toward said valve means during movement of said piston rod in both directions,

the free end of said axially extending portion being unrestrained in the direction of said valve means,

a second rigid washer, which closes a portion of an end of said casing, on the other side of said resilient washer,

said resilient washer having a peripheral portion surrounding and extending axially around the radially outermost periphery of said second rigid washer in a direction away from said valve means,

said casing having a peripheral portion deformed radially inwardly to compress said peripheral portion of said resilient washer against the radially outermost periphery of said second rigid washer to provide a seal between said casing and the peripheral portion of said resilient washer,

and means for applying an axial force to said first rigid washer at an area surrounding said central portion of the resilient washer.

2. For use in a hydraulic door closer including a piston rod reciprocally mounted in a casing with one end thereof extending within said casing and the other end thereof extending externally of said casing, the improvement comprising means for sealing around a portion intermediate the ends of said rod comprising a washer of resilient material having an axial opening therein through which said rod projects,

the diameter of said opening being less than the diameter of said rod,

said washer being substantially flat in an untensioned state when removed from the casing,

21 first rigid washer engaging a surface of said resilient washer and having a central portion spaced from said resilient Washer allowing a central portion of said resilient washer to extend axially along said rod in a direction toward the interior of said casing,

the axially extending portion of said resilient washer being of such thickness and length that flexing of said axially extending portion is prevented during reciprocating movement of said rod in both directions so that said axially extending portion extends toward the interior of said casing during movement of said piston rod in both directions,

the free end of said axially extending portion being unrestrained in a direction toward the interior of said casing,

a second rigid washer, which closes a portion of an end of said casing, on the other side of said resilient washer,

said resilient washer having a peripheral portion surrounding and extending axially around the radially outermost periphery of said second rigid washer in a direction away from the interior of said casing,

said casing having a peripheral portion deformed radially inwardly to compress said peripheral portion of said resilient washer against the radially outermost periphery of said second rigid washer to provide a seal between said casing and the peripheral portion of said resilient washer,

and means for applying an axial force to said first rigid washer at an area surrounding said central portion of the resilient washer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS I 2,753,008 7/1956 Peirce 277-212 X 2,920,882 1/ 1960 Allinquant. 3,160,910 12/1964 Quinn 16-51 3,182,349 5/1965 Sogoian 1652 FOREIGN PATENTS 678,804 9/ 1952 Great Britain.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

2. FOR USE IN A HYDRAULIC DOOR CLOSER INCLUDING A PISTON ROD RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED IN A CASING WITH ONE END THEREOF EXTENDING WITHIN SAID CASING AND THE OTHER END THEREOF EXTENDING EXTERNALLY OF SAID CASING, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS FOR SEALING AROUND A PORTION INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID ROD COMPRISING A WASHER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING AN AXIAL OPENING THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID ROD PROJECTS, THE DIAMETER OF SAID OPENING BEING LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID ROD, SAID WASHER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT IN AN UNTENSIONED STATE WHEN REMOVED FROM THE CASING, A FIRST RIGID WASHER ENGAGING A SURFACE OF SAID RESILIENT WASHER AND HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION SPACED FROM SAID RESILIENT WASHER ALLOWING A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT WASHER TO EXTEND AXIALLY ALONG SAID ROD IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING, THE AXIALLY EXTENDING PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT WASHER BEING OF SUCH THICKNESS AND LENGTH THAT FLEXING OF SAID AXIALLY EXTENDING PORTION IS PREVENTED DURING RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID ROD IN BOTH DIRECTIONS SO THAT SAID AXIALLY EXTENDING PORTION EXTENDS TOWARD THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTON ROD IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, THE FREE END OF SAID AXIALLY EXTENDING PORTION BEING UNRESTRAINED IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING, A SECOND RIGID WASHER, WHICH CLOSES A PORTION OF AN END OF SAID CASING, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID RESILIENT WASHER, SAID RESILIENT WASHER HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION SURROUNDING AND EXTENDING AXIALLY AROUND THE RADIALLY OUTERMOST PERIPHERY OF SAID SECOND RIGID WASHER IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING, SAID CASING HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION DEFORMED RADIALLY INWARDLY TO COMPRESS SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT WASHER AGAINST THE RADIALLY OUTERMOST PERIPHERY OF SAID SECOND RIGID WASHER TO PROVIDE A SEAL BETWEEN SAID CASING AND THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT WASHER, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING AN AXIAL FORCE TO SAID FIRST RIGID WASHER AT AN AREA SURROUNDING SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF THE RESILIENT WASHER. 